Crop Science Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education
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Published in Crop Sci 13:432-435 (1973)
© 1973 Crop Science Society of America
677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA
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Seed Dormancy, Germination Environment, and Seed Structure of Lehmann Lovegrass, Eragrostis lehmanniana Nees1

L. Neal Wright2

Seed of the cultivar ‘A-68’ and 36 lines of Lehmann lovegrass, Eragrostis lehmanniana Nees, were investigated to identify and characterize seed (caryopsis) dormancy with respect to determination of pattern and degree. Development of the optimum germination environment and study of seed structure were emphasized. Freshly harvested seed varied among lines from no dormancy to complete dormancy. Dormancy decreased in a linear pattern for 100 weeks after harvest. Cylinder scarification was the most effective and simplest to control of all treatments to overcome dormancy. Many treatments were not effective. Optimum germination environment consisted of alternating temperatures of 20 C with 16 hr of darkness and 30 C with 8 hr of light with Eaton and Dikman no. 617 or Whatman no. 2 filter paper substrate. Differences were not observed in the origin of structural parts of the fruit coat among lines. Dry weights of water-extractable gelatinous seed-surface were not related to seed dormancy and removal of the gelatinous seed-surface did not overcome seed dormancy. Variability was found among lines for presence and quantity of known, identified, and unidentified chemical compounds of seed extracts. Seed dormancy differences were not attributable to chemical differences of eed extracts.

Key Words: Seedling establishment • Dormancy pattern • Postharvest dormancy • Chromatography • Cylinder scarification

1 Contribution from the Agricultural Research Service, USDA, and the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Arizona, Tucson. Research was financed in part by Western Regional Research Project, WM-35. The author wishes to acknowledge the research contribution of S. E. Brauen which was a portion of dissertation research conducted in fulfillment of the requirements for a Ph.D, degree. Arizona Agricultural Experiment Station Journal Paper No. 1992.

2 Research Agronomist, ARS, USDA, and Professor, Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Arizona, Tucson, 85721.

Received for publication November 13, 1972.




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Copyright © 1973 by the Crop Science Society of America.